LOUGHBOROUGH : Indian-Origin Vicar Appointed Bishop In Central England

LOUGHBOROUGH
: An Indian-origin vicar who grew up in the Syrian Orthodox Church in South
India has been appointed as the new Bishop of Loughborough, in central England.

The
Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly, known as Saju, is the Vicar of St.
Mark’s Gillingham, in the Diocese of Rochester – southern England. His
appointment to the Diocese of Leicester has been approved by Queen Elizabeth
II, according to a Downing Street announcement on Friday.

“The
Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese
Muthalaly (known as Saju), Vicar of St Mark’s Gillingham, in the Diocese of
Rochester, to the Suffragan See of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester,
in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Gulnar Francis-Dehqani following her
translation to the See of Chelmsford,” reads the announcement.

Saju,
from Kerala, was educated at the Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore and
trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St
Thomas’, Lancaster in the Diocese of Blackburn and was ordained Priest in the
Church of England in 2009.

According
to ‘The Church Times’, it is understood that he will be the youngest bishop in
the Church of England when he is consecrated next year at the age of 42.

“If I have
felt anointed in anything, it is in forming friendships, gathering God’s
people, and creating hospitable and loving spaces in which people can grow in
faith, hope, justice and love. I have a deep desire for the flourishing of all
people, particularly the poor, those at the margins of our world,” Saju was
quoted by the paper as saying.

“I grew
up in a leprosy hospital in the city of Bangalore, India, where my mother
worked as a nurse. From my earliest memory, my heart has bent towards those who
live in poverty. Poor people aren’t just poor people; they are mothers,
artists, gifted leaders, friends, people who are passionate about the
environment,” he said. “I have always been drawn to enhance the voice
of people who have lived experiences of poverty, whether in a parish in the UK,
mission visit to the prisons of Eritrea, or through the work I do as one of the
directors of ATD Fourth World (a human-rights anti-poverty organisation),” he
added.